What is stealing? Stealing is defined as “unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one’s neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods.” [1]

Discussion Questions:Share a time when you had something stolen from you. How did it make you feel?Why would someone be tempted to steal something?

What are other forms or names of stealing? Other names for stealing can be theft or cheating.

What is theft? Theft is “the secret taking of an object against the legitimate owner’s reasonable will for the purpose of gain. If secrecy is absent, the act is called robbery. If the lawful owner is not reasonably opposed to the act, no theft is committed. And if the purpose of gain is absent, the taking of an object is rather a matter of damage.” [2]

“Generally speaking, theft is a serious sin. According to St. Paul, ‘Thieves, usurers…and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God’ (1 Cor. 6:10). But as an owner may be opposed in different ways to the loss of property belonging to him or her, so too the sin of theft admits of degrees, even to the point of constituting only a slight sin. Moreover, opposition to a loss may be based on the value or quantity of the stolen goods. Finally, theft is more or less grave according to the manner in which it is committed. A person may be more opposed to a large theft committed at one time than to a series of small thefts although amounting to the same value. Yet repeated petty thefts – venial sins if taken separately may become a mortal sin either because of the intention or because of the conspiracy with which they are perpetrated or because the frequency of small thefts really constitutes a single large act of thievery.” [3]

What is cheating? “Cheating is any gain, whether material, social or psychological, obtained by fraud. The most common form of cheating is committed by injuring another’s property or business, whether openly or secretly. Thus cheating is practiced by giving false weight or measure or practicing any other deceit in buying or selling, and by misrepresenting an object or product in order to attract buyers or users.” [4]

Discussion Questions:Has anyone cheated you? Maybe on a test, a project, or at work?Why does theft and cheating fall in the same area as stealing?

Do we have a right to private property? “The right to private property, acquired or received in a just way, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind.” [5]

Much of the world falls into two camps: rigid individualism or collective socialism. Rigid individualism places great emphasis on the individual person’s rights and responsibilities. This is harmful because it exaggerates the separation between the rich and the poor. We cannot be rigidly individualistic because we are called to be generous with what God has given us especially to those people who do not have even the basic necessities. Collective socialism is the practice that weakens or eradicates the right of individuals to private ownership of property. This is harmful because it requires a select few people to be in charge of the distribution of these shared goods. It also removes the free will act of sharing ones goods with another since those in authority mandate it. We combat this by practicing true social justice.

Search: You did it to Me

Why is it wrong to steal? Why is it a sin? Stealing is a sin because it breaks one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 10, “thou shall not steal.” “The right to own property is divinely approved because the Seventh Commandment forbids theft, which would be meaningless unless ownership were a prior and natural right that was approved by God.” [6]

Jesus reaffirms this idea that private ownership is a natural right throughout the Gospels. In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus say: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber…“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” The thief who comes in does not have a right to the sheep, but the true shepherd does.

Another place where we see this in Scripture is when Christ tells us to give to Caesar what is due to Caesar and give to God what is due to God. [7] In order for that statement to have meaning, there must be a reality of private ownership. Caesar deserves to receive back that which bears his image and name, i.e. the denarius that is in question. In the same way, we must give to God that which bears His image and likeness, which would be our very selves as we read in Genesis 1:26. Saint Paul writes, “anyone who was a thief must stop stealing; he should try to find some useful manual work instead, and be able to do some good by helping others that are in need. [8] Saint Peter wrote, “None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer. But if anyone of you should suffer for being a Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one.” [9] Finally, we see at the Crucifixion that Jesus was crucified between to thieves. Jesus forgives the one who repents. [10]

Which commandments does the sin of theft fall under? The sin of theft falls under both the seventh commandment “You shall not steal” and the tenth commandment “You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

When is taking something not considered stealing? “Consequently it is not theft if the owner consents, expressly or tacitly, or if an object is taken for reasons of extreme necessity, or as occult compensation. Thus, if a wife takes from her husband, either absent or unreasonably opposed as an avaricious man, something necessary for herself, for the support and benefit of her children for reasons of charity in keeping with the family’s financial condition or for helping parents in grave need, it is not theft.” [11]

Is it ever okay to steal? It is never okay to steal, however there are situations when it is allowable to take something with out permission. The Catechism teaches, “there is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing . . .) is to put at one's disposal and use the property of others.” [12] Basically this is saying that it is not considered stealing if someone is in danger of death due to hunger, thirst, shelter, nakedness, etc. On those occasions, it is permissible to save a life either by taking these essential needs from someone else or taking money to buy the things needed. Again, this is acceptable only in the most extreme examples and stealing should not be thought to be permissible. If we are being true stewards of this planet and living for God, we will reach out and help all those who are dire need of essential things.

Father Emil J. Kapaun, a Catholic priest who served as Chaplin in the Korean War was nicknamed the “Good Thief” by his fellow soldiers. Kapaun and his platoon were ambushed by the communist and imprisoned in a P.O.W. camp where they were poorly treated and on the brink of starvation. The prisoners were told that if anyone was caught taking any food at any time they would be killed. Father Kapaun, risked his life each night to sneak into the garden or pantry and steal food for his friends in order to keep them alive. The communists did not have the right to withhold food, a basic necessity, and therefore, Father Kapuan was not stealing, but rather was preserving the life of his friends.

What about Gambling? Gambling is “staking money or valuables on chance, or a future or possible event that is unknown or uncertain to the participants.” [13] One of the stereotypes of Catholics is they love to play bingo, which is a form of gambling. However, playing bingo and other forms of gambling are not sinful in themselves. Gambling becomes sinful when the people place bets that are dishonest, they cannot afford to pay, their family will suffer in some way by, or that lead to scandal. Depending on one’s life situation and the purpose for gambling, it can either be a sin or not. In addition, it is wrong if there is any fraud from the one who is taking the bet or overseeing the game.

What about online downloads? Downloading videos, music, games, or anything else without paying for the content (pirating) is considered a sin.

What are we to do if we have stolen in the past? If we have stolen something in the past, we should go to the sacrament of Reconciliation and ask for forgiveness with God. Then we should pay back the person who we stole from or the store from which we stole something. We can do this with our money, our time, or an attempt to find a different way by which we can make amends. This will not only show true contrition, but also can rebuild trust and help to build up the Kingdom of God. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” [14]